


Pain is pleasure

by always_nameless



Category: Borderlands (Video Games), Borderlands 3
Genre: Alcohol, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Child Neglect, Emotional Baggage, English is not my native language - sorry for bad sentence structure, F/M, Getting shit together, My First Fanfic, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Overthinking, Retrospective, Siblings, Slow Burn, abusive childhood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:07:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24231064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/always_nameless/pseuds/always_nameless
Summary: [Edit: Intro]"So... You want to hear a story, eh? One about treasure hunters? Haha, have I got a story for you! Pandora... This is our home. But make no mistake - this is not a planet of peace and love. They say it's a wasteland, that it's dangerous, that only a fool would search for something of value here..."After the incidents with the whole COV story, the Vault Hunters began to live a more settled life on the spaceship. Until Ava decided to follow her siren-given intuition and leads Zane into a past of agony, facing his worst nightmares and discovering a Siren secret that better had been left burried.
Relationships: Amara/Zane Flynt
Kudos: 19





	1. Sleepless Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to everyone who‘s reading my awkward headcanon :)
> 
> This story is focused on an slow burn between Zane and Amara. First, Zane had to face his past life on Pandora and Promethea (Yeah, I know the main focus is on him — sorry not sorry ;) )
> 
> Though the first chapter is weak I think it goes better with every next one — leading to a story where a sister just wants her brother back, willing to set his world on fire.
> 
> Big thanks @Wild_Guy_Han for telling me, not to overuse lowercase. My apologies for writing important things like ‚I‘ , ‚Siren‘ etc. lowercase. I promise I’ll learn from this mistake.
> 
> Feedback is very welcome — so I can improve my writing.
> 
> Enjoy reading :)
> 
> P.S.: Special thanks to my lovely husband for his support and lending me ‚his‘ Amara, by that I mean: Writing all the conversations she and Zane had in coop-style :* It‘s always a tango of mind blowing mayhem with you, my eight-armed goddess *smirk*

It was about 3 o'clock in the morning - or whatever it is called out in space. The Sanctuary III was floating above Pandora again. It should come as no surprise that the vessel will serve as a safe space. Hub areas are safe spaces from the terror beyond the six galaxies. Still, something is nagging on Zanes brain. It's hard to find sleep with all the background noises from the pipes, the talking people and why the hell did the wrenches fall of to the ground so often?! After defeating the calypso twins the first weeks seemed very peaceful. Nothing special happend. Maybe this was the retirement-thingy as it should be. _Nah, that's boring_. Zane open his eye and looked out the window right to his bunk. Pandora beneath him looks so hypnotizing. The eridium leakage flashing in deep purple colors. This craggy area around the eridium blight cut with its lava flows and volcanic ashes falls constantly over the littered fallout from earlier Hyperion's mining operations. Still after all these years boulders hover in the orbit above the planet. 

A smile runs over his face by just seeing these colorful planetside. Like the color of the purple cloth wrapped around the waist of their fellow Siren. If it wasn't for her unending intense and eager enjoyment of beating up bad guys, maybe he never stayed for so long with the crimson raiders. She made a name for herself in cleaning up her home off crime. They both made a living for themselves in hunting people down even though in different ways and out of different reasons but one as well as the other doing it because they loved their profession and it gave them better lives then they would have had. That he was sure. She was constructive and handled it all the way a strong woman like her would. She can back up what she says with the feats she has accomplished. He find it impressive how she find excitement and relieve in dancing over the battlefield and take out one baddy after the other. This seems the time where she can be fully she. He adores the Siren for her enthusiasm and for the trust they build up. Teamplaying was never on his plans. But now he just can't imagine going without the backup and the fire of at least one of them. Preferring Amara. _Of course ye do, ol' bastard._

They split the teams more often in two groups for more efficiency. Over the time Fl4k and Moze build up a well-rehearsed team in exactly the same way as Amara with Zane. They had a lot of time to synch in their fighting habits. Oh, how wonderful it was, this dancing of gore and violence. Well, a _walloping_ could be the right thing in nights where the mind just doesn't quiet down. Pandora as the wasteland it was, forsaken world filled with dangerous creatures and all kinds of bandits, he strangely feels connected to - the same feeling he has about his teammates. What a strange thought, what a strange feeling. Home was so far away in his vocabulary. The years before he never had the time to think so deep about the meaning of _being home_ as he does it now. Out of his abilities and his riches, he has nothing. No real family to turn to. So many people want him dead. Maybe this is the price for the probability of survival. However, he was sure as feck that his teammates wouldn't stab him in the back, rather if they wanted him dead, they'd let him know and do it face to face.

The lumbering from pippies feet echoed through the corridor behind the door. _So that's it! Feck it. No sleepin' 'ere_. To calm down his wandering mind a pint, or two, in Moxxis Bar always worked well. The decision to get up was set. Grabbing his Jacket and his goldenskined Dastardly Maggie, why he never leave without her, from the table with the well arranged wrenches releasing one of them to the ground. With an echoing klink it felt to the ground followed by some sheets. Ignoring them, the operative heads for the door.

The soft pianotunes sounded through Moxxxis, matching perfectly with the light vibration of the slotmachines and the decent smell of alcohol mixed with vanilla in the air. Moxxi herself standing tall behind the bar, was cleaning a glass with a towel and flirting with one guest who sits at the source of the delightful beverages. The Operative sitting in the right corner of the bar at a table with two red leather padded benches, which was more of a hide-out than any other corners in here. He reaches for his pint in a glass in front of him, his view focused onto his echo device. Watching a interview, which was indeed more than one year old, but it was one with Amara. The reporter asked her a question about what drives her to fight against the crime of Partali. Her answer was so simple but so honest. _I hope to inspire our people to fight for their own rights and believes. Aur kuch nahi._ She has a reasonable matter to care for the betterment of others and she's not afraid to get violent in pursuit of her ideals. She is so compassionate and brutal at the same time. Her smile so tender, like the smile she gives him while crushing bandits with her fists. He wonder who caused the scar on her right brow. _Who or what did this to ye, lass?_ Vacantly the Operative gently caress her face on the echo device.

"Hey, Vault Hunter! What'cha watching there?" 

  
Not till a brown bottle, with drops running down the bottleneck, showing how fresh and cold the content inside was, was deposit on the table, Zane realizes how fixed he was on the freeze image of the Siren that his Echo showed. With one fluid movement of his right hand he touched the Off Button and looked up from his deep thoughts. Mordecai settled down face to face with the operative. Without paying attention to answer the snipers question, Zane just smiled whimsically and outmanoeuvred back.

"What keep ye awake, Boo-boo Choco-do?"

Team B's Sniper, who seems to wear his leather headgear and his distinctive pilot googles on a daily basis, circuited his index finger around the bottles neck. 

  
"This one, I'll never get rid of it, like it seems." Mordecai throw a glance at the echo device of his fellow vault hunter and added "Everthing and nothing can keep you awake at nights." Mordecai wonder how someone could change the lovely rustic chic of the echo in something so minty-green and fancy like a Chibi-Vaulthunters skin, which are kinda dancing and looking dang cute. He chuckled a _this one is nice_ to Zane, pointing at the device. Still he was curious what the semi-retired Operative had watched while he seems lost in his mind. 

Zane was nipping at his drink - astonishingly just this one half empty glass stands on the table. He really has to be concentrated or something, when there was no other evidence for booze. But maybe this all was just Mordecais assumption because he would totally have drink all available booze in this desolate place. Something he couldn't manage because the sweet bartender was all about to discipline him nonverbal and pour just as much as she thought was good for him. A skirmish which conflagrant years before. What about booze he was none the wiser as she first find out he was such an heavy drinker. This was why he prefered the comapany of his feathered friend. Other than human relations, this bond was unconditional, plain and full of acceptance. 

  
"What does it take to keep ye feelin' grounded 'n sane?" 

The question from Mordecais counterpart dropped in unexpected. With one courageous grip the sniper take a deep sip of his bootle while his gaze wandered through the dwell with its unfolded pipes, the metallic shining walls till his eyes stops at the barcounter. His eyes rest for a while on the bartender, who noticed she was stared at and smiles, with the confidence of a first class soccer team, back. Her auburn hair pinned up this way was something Mordecai couldn't say it was not indescribable compelling. Like the times where he watched her while fighting in der Underdome of hers. She was dancing all above the violence down there always with an eye and comment to the battlefield. Her delicate posture and her lascivious moving dictated his concentration to her. Every single time he had made a one-shot kill he looked up through his scope. Back then he pondered how he can get the attention of a impressive woman like her. The more brutal, the more she gets aroused by it. So he played the game and covered himself in roughness and blind carnage. Ironically, it was his to win all the rounds and what he wasn't expected - Moxxi herself too. More ironic than this - his bad behavior and his unending love for his Bird draw her away from him right in the hands of another asshole. Mordecai shook his head and sighed.

"Dunno. Maybe the thought of freedom, to do what ever I want and the very high amount of available booze out there." He gave a lopsided grin. "I really guess our inner demons keep us grounded and sane."

Zane nodded absently as Mordecai added: "Enjoy every minute of what you had. You'll never know when the vault-hunting takes consequences on the life you known the best..." his voice softens and his expression darkens "I saw friends come and go. Roland, the former leader and founder of the Crimson Raiders, one of my closest friends, he deserved way much better than to die on this shithole of a planet through the hands of an psychopath. Sometimes I hate this planet!" He sighed. "I saw Lil falling apart 'cos of this. I myself couldn't help much. Was to busy and focussed on grief 'bout Blood. Than the shit with Grace. Too young to die, but Pandora takes and takes and gives probably nothing in return. When I think about it, I dunno why we all become not as much psycho as the locals out there." 

Zane raised his chin and strokes across his goatee nodding in mutual understanding. "I'm sorry, boyo. Was there in the city of Opportunity back in me assassination times. Saw the statue - really sorry for Jack being a total Gobshite to ye 'n yer party. But ye are still the winners out of this. That's what matters 'n gives hope to others." The Operative hoist his glass with an encouraging _Slàinte Mhath._

Mordecai nodded in pondering silence and raised his bottle to clink it with the near empty glass.

Notes:  
Aur kuch nahi (Hindi): Nothing else  
Slàinte Mhath (Gaelic): Good Health (as a toast)


	2. Familiar Atmosphere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ava is trying so hard to change her rush-into-something-completely-unknown-and-maybe-dangerous attitude that she fails and found herself drawn to Pandora like once her Siren-sister Maya has been.

Behind the closed door of her cabin aboard the Sanc. III the teen commander of the Crimson Raiders clutched the book which Maya has left. Sitting on the ground, sobbing, Ava felt like the book was a symbol to remind her of her training with Maya and the overcoming of being stubborn at all. If Maya hadn't stayed behind with Ava to speak to her, because she has this 'rush into danger' attitude, maybe then Maya had been with the other Vault Hunters in safety. Sure, that attitude works if you're a hardcore well-trained Siren like Maya or Lilith. But, as a kid who can barely hold her own? It's nothing but reckless. Especially when it puts others in danger. At that point Ava thought the whole vault hunting thing was a game and she thought she was kinda invincible. Since the death of her parents she felt so lost, so the concept of becoming a mighty Vault Hunter, just like her idole Maya, make her so squirrelly about it, that she really believed what her mind lied to her. Seeing Maya pass away though taught her that vault hunting isn´t just some silly game. She never wanted to blame Lilith for the circumstances either, but she felt so overwhelmed back then. Ava was now sure she causes Maya's death. There is no getting around it. She had to make up for it. This _commander of the whole ship and the crew_ thing was something new. With the help of the other Vault Hunters and Tannis she understands why Lilith picked her. She wanted her to grow. All she ever wanted is to become one of the heroes from Maya's stories. And here she sits, sobbing, giving up. Looking at her newly drawn Siren marks on her arm, she decided to take a look in to the book. She already learned that there had to be some correlation between the two species of the Eridians and the Sirens. A lot of Eridian tech seems perfect for Sirens and the purple element Eridium is a tremendous catalyst for powering them up. But one thing more than any other is always in charge about Sirens. _Pandora._ _All Sirens are inexplicably drawn to the planet Pandora_ _at some point in their lives._

So there it might be the key to them. Once Maya went to Pandora to find out more about her meaning as a Siren. Now this could be something Ava could keep fullfilling. With this manifested thought she stand up and put the book aside. Ava grasp _her_ Maliwan SMG - a HellFire -  _the_ legendary sub machine gun which Maya have use for a long time to kill and tear bandits and others apart. She dedicated it to Ava as soon as they stepped through the spaceships threshold the first time. Ava was so excited that day that she wanted to start her VH carrier asap so badly. It was on Maya who calmed her down and had tell her to be patient, because one day she will have given the opportunity of using this curvy, light red oscillating gift given to her. And there it was again, this special attitude -  _rush into danger._ She chuckled lightly. Nobody will be in danger this time. The young commander uses her sneaking abilities to pass through the corridors, downwards heading for the Fast-Travel-Station in der hallway of the crew quarters. Below on pandora she will inform Tannis and the others that they didn't need to worry. She just need some time alone. Figuring out who she now is and where she truly belongs. At the Fast-Travel-Station none of the vessels inhabitants who loiter around the tables and the Quick-Change machine seems to take note. So the young Siren give in some coordinates by guessing.

She hardly believed that she really travelled in here all by her self, alone on a planet of violence and carnage. A planet which she never been alone before. How thrilling. The Fast-Travel-Station located her in the Salt Flats.

Ava looked down the the sunbaked, dusty street in front of her. In the middle of this desert stands a giant high-yield mining rig with his dominating bucket-wheel on the front and a counterweight at the back. It has to have been a leftover from the time before Dahl abandoned the planet, she assumes. Heading nearer to this colossal gear she remembered how her father once promised to visit Pandora's most visited tourist attraction – The World Largest Bullet. How she was excited to do this with her parents. She barely sleeps for days and asked every morning when they will get started to head towards this new planet. Wanderlust was something she didn't knew, but something that grows in her.

To look back on the family she lost and regaining her memories was painful. She tried to shake it off. The memories hurt as if they were fresh and she needs much more time to process them. The thing was, every time she closed her eyes she seen them all. Replaying over and over again what could be if ...

Deep in thoughts she headed towards the mining-rig. She doesn't even know why her feet lead her this way. But the giant tool was fascinating she has to admit. The closer she moved to it, the more she can distinguish. A immense left-over ribcage of an ancient creature enclosed the facility like a natural fence. There was one entrance as she could say and on the right side a Catch-a-Ride Station.

_If you wouldn't be so curious..._

Ava turned in time to see a suicide psycho waving with an grenade in his hand towards her from near the entrance: “ Mommy dearest was the clearest until she lost her bearing, now she's rusted, and is busted, and out of sight and hearing!” 

In no time he and two others moving towards her with several screams and psychotic laughter. The young siren felt betrayed from her own mind and much more anxious as the first psycho nearly reached her. She closed her eyes in angst. Her tattoos started to glow in bright blue colors. She felt an overwhelming, deep frisson. As her hand was shaking she stretched her right arm and bend forward the upper part of her body. As the power drives through her veins three blue bubbles of force appeared and phaselocked the psychos. She doesn't know how long she can stand it, but she tries to channel all her anger against herself into the phaselock. Thinking of the fear of confrontation with the real authority figures back on the Sanctuary, because she failed to assert her true feelings of opression and the lack to communicate like she had have to, helped.

„I'm inside... I'M INSIDE ME!“, yelped one of them, as the other two smashed and lifeless bodys fell to the ground.

Ava's panting was fast and uncontrolled, she felt thrilled, completely forgot about her SMG on the back. The last psycho stumbled forward still holding this grenade. As he throws it in the air with an loud and laughing: „Gotta get my hands... around... your throat!“ the grenade bursts above Ava's head into an toxic cloud. Her heart stopped beating for an moment. It felt like eternity. Seeing the green fog slowly falling down made her trip over her own feet. Trembling she lies on the ground, seconds apart from being decomposed. This nightmarish thought of how stupid it was to leave the safe vessel on her own, how Tannis would be so dissapointed with her behavior and how everybody will regret ever taken her serious as the commander of the Crimson Raiders. She closed her eyes, and everthing around her turns deaf, in expectation it will be over every second. But, nothing happens, until her hearing returned. This familiar voice makes her heart jump.

_Try and get through this!_

As she opened her eyes, the green fog vanished as it touched the barrier which was dome-shaped and protects all sides around her. The remaining psycho had not the time to react and pull a second grenade as a bullet hits his face. The dead body with now a halfed face collapsed to the ground as Zane slided into the dome to Ava.

„Ye alright, lass?“

She released a thankful smile and nodded. In this moment a few more psychos crept out of the entrance. Ava searched the horizon for the other Vault Hunters in joyful expectation to hear more familiar voices and her favourite skag ever – Mr.Chew, but there was nobody besides of Zane. She come to think that up on the Sanc. III it was real nighttime differently to this side of the planet. So he followed her – how rude. Does this means there's no trust in her? In fact she was glad he was here, taking some more of this freaking psychos out. The one by one reloading of the Cartridges in the cylinder that Zane practices with his Dastardly Maggie helped Ava to focus back. Besides she was fascinated how fast the seasoned Vault Hunter moved in between this small range of the dome. As she felt her phaselock cooled down she shifted her mind into this anger-like state to phaselock some of the assholes which still running towards them like ants fleeing from an burning anthill. In appreciation Zane take out other two off the blue bubble. The noise of the quick gunshots reverberated in the ears and rang out far over the deserts sandhills. One psycho rushed into the barrier - to met Zane's Digi-Claw. The operative swung his arm hard, that the psychos head was severed from his neck to bounce along the ground, trailing blood and the still jolted facial expression, as an subliminal warning to back off. Both Vault Hunters behaved like an well-functioning team.

A loud female „Halt!“ echoed through the sandy battlefield and cut the fight. From the entrance a female bandit moved slowly in the direction of the two Vault Hunters. Her steps were full of confidence and she smirked at the two. This bandit had a bossy sort of voice so that every psycho immediately stopped moving. With respect they backed away. Ava and Zane stopped, too, looking doubtfully to each other, if it was the right thing. As soon, as they stopped the dome which barrier created disappeared. As the bandit was near and circled around the Vault Hunters, Ava noticed that Zane rests one hand on her shoulder slightly squeezing it and always taking a little step in front of her for protection. She knew that she had to be quite this time. Again she had to shake off the manifested pictures of the events in the Vault with Maya. She didn't want to put someone else in danger just because her mouth was always faster than her thoughts. But yet, here they are.

„Look what the skag dragged in!“ the woman with the mint-green to blue ombre hair, which was spiked up, eyeballed them with this devilish grin of hers.

Ava remains calm and mutually supportive albeit she wanted to shout at the bandit how she dare to command an attack against one person just strolling around. A look to Zane's face shows her that the operative gazed the female bandit. He knitted his brow in concentration.

 _Seemingly they know each other..._ Ava connected the dots as the female bandit stopped moving in circles around them and dropped an dark and at the same time smooth: „Zane!“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)  
> Suggestions for improvement are always welcome.


	3. Once upon a time...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short insight of how it was for Zane to spend his childhood on Pandora with his siblings.

_Tick, tick, tick._

The ticking of the clock was the only thing the youngest Flynt brother could hear on this sunny day, as he hides inside this abadoned cottage, right in the camp of the Flynt-Clan. Sitting there on the wooden floor between the cot and a wall the boy draw his legs near to his chest. The thought of getting out of here and face his brothers made him shiver desperately.

His older brothers, Captain and Baron, were passionate hunters and sadists. Constantly searching for ways to tweak their hunting skills, just to kill and torture more efficiently. They tinkered their own weapons, often jury-rigged from different parts they found in other rivaling camps or which they simply loot from unsuspecting travelers. To test this inventions they experiment on their two younger siblings. The youngest brother was more often involved than his sister. She, as the only female descendant, has to stay unhurt, because of her importance for future clan alliances. So, when his older brothers told their youngest male sibling to clean the weapons thoroughly, to check out the new and untested arms if they don't explode by pulling the trigger or if they command him to toss dead or not so dead critters and animals in the air, so they could make some target practice, the little one had to obey. Not just for the purpose to improve the aim or the weapons handling expertise of Captain and Baron, but mostly for the fun and excitement of them. One thing Baron once said, the young Flynt brother will never forget. _If you own a firearm, it's your responsibility to learn proper gun handling techniques and safety!_ The orders of all what they want from him were something he prefered before being enclosed in a wine barrel for days or being battered over and over again. Nevertheless, today he tried to abscond with a stolen rifle gun which Captain just customized for his use. It was a fascinating fabrication with a bottle as scope and a sharklike war painting. His sister told him to take it. _Nobody will notice_. But, this did not go unnoticed, terrorised the young boy decided to run away. The rifle was heavier than ideal for the little hands, so he discarded it to be more flexible. He needed all the strenght he could gain to pass around barriers, to change directions and jump over all kind of scrap in his way.

Silently he uplifted his body and tiptoed barefooted towards the door at the opposite of the room. The boy lean against the wall next to the door and eavesdrop with bated breath. The sounding of heavy steps from combat boots came with the rough tone of a voice: „There's the little rat. He's hiding, so let us fumigate this place!“ Out of shock the hole body stiffened, his glance run over the room and wound up on the cot. Within seconds he dove to the ground and covered his body under it – maybe one of the dumbest hide-outs which he could ever find. But time is pressing and panic does nothing for creativity, the situation is already critical, and could get even worse. The heart rate increased, he felt his blood pulsative in his ear and just in time he get completely covered in his hide-out, as someone slammed the door open. „Knock, knock!“, he heard Captains impatient call. But there were no sounding of footsteps into the room. The young Flynt held his breath, his thoughts run so fast and uncoordinated through his mind that he can't catch even one of them. His body intensively shouted to run, immediately! And as this leading thought finally touches his consciousness it was almost to late. With hissing noisiness and air becoming hotter and hotter, fire rapidly spread all over the place. When the flames came already near the cot, this primordial command of his body finally took over and he jumps out from under the bed and balanced to stand on his feet. Everthing around him was nearly on fire. The rug right before him crackled in vivid colours. Tears filled his eyes, the body shaking, through the hot air he hardly breathed and nearly suffocated. _The door._ His visibility was reduced by the smoke but he managed to head forward. In panic he reached the door before this hell could roast him . The flames behind him whipped higher and hotter with every second as he slipped out of the cottages door and brought himself with intense coughing into safety – for one moment. Just across the entrance Captain stands with his bulky figure and with one feet apart waiting for his sibling: „Get here you little maggot, there's no chance for you to escape your right punishment!“, he cackle. In the nick of time, before Captain reached his younger brother, the little one managed to lie down on his stomach and slide right through the open gate of Captains legs, shortly after, panic-fuelled the young Flynt jumps up to his own feet and run crisscrossed around one cottage to another one – what he wasn't expecting was that Baron waited there. Not until he saw Barons sobriety glancing at him, grabbing his arm and pulling him roughly back. Tormented the young one cried out and reached for the heavy grip which holds him down. „Let me go!“, the boy whimper. But Baron was persistent like a limpet. Quiet the contrary, he had a ripping good time watching the desperate attempts to escape. Captain has recently entered the scenery, whereas the cottage behind them was still burning. The pungent smoke drove tears into the eyes of the young boy, so he was constantly reminded that violent death was a part of everyday life at the Flynt camp – no matter if humanlife or one of the beasts out there. In the background some residents get some water from the stand pipe and tried to douse the fire. Still in Barons grip the boy starts to fidget with the hope to escape his keeper. „I'll show ya what it means to steal, and betray the orders of me!“, Captain gruffed and stretched out for his younger brothers arm. As he did so, Baron left the young boy to his fate. „Captain! Next time control your pyromaniac lust inside the camp! Thanks!“, Baron turned away from his brothers and left them alone. Unimpressed Captain shruged his shoulders, ignoring the request, and trailing his younger brother behind him.

Whining and whimpering the young Flynt tried to get free, but still stucked in the grip. Every sharp-edged stone he was dragged through cutted deeper scrapes in his feet making him cringe about the pain, left the little feet burning and bleeding. After a few minutes they reached the choosed destination of Captain. A Rakkcave in the north of the camp. As they sliped through the narrow crevice between the hot dry rocks, a wide open inside showed a man tied down in chains right in the middle of the cave. The thick shackles were attached to solid rings in the ground. The man seemed very hungry and skinny. At his side a birdcage, in the size to fit for a human, which one could hang up with a rope winch. Even before the young Flynt realised what his brother was up to, he was roughly throwed into the cage. He wailed and doubled over, but Captain kicked him once more, and then he was out cold on the ground as the door closed behind him and the cage dangled in the air within seconds. „This time you couldn't run away and hide. Look what you've done. This are the consequences for betrayal!“ Captain laughed and leaved the cave.

The cage was well-positioned, with the look down to the man in shackles. Sad eyes, the sunken cheeks and the long blond beard - the entire face seemed to be that of an old man - until the details began to clear. A wanderer, maybe in his mid-twenties. His backpack lied somewhere in a corner of the cave. He must have been captured and tortured by his brother. A further look showed a compound fracture at his leg. The bone loomed out, all the tattered flesh around the open fracture seemed dry. The young boy couldn't even imagine how many days this poor guy have been without food and medical care. Dizziness filled his head accompanied with headache, closing his eyes the young boy breathed in and slowly counted to ten, hoping to when opening them again everything will make sense to him. Breathing out he opened his eyes, looking around, still nothing makes sense. Studying the upper area of the cave he observed some rakks circling around the big hole above them, doing some further exploring he also discovered freshly hatched rakk chicks.

As the day ends and Elpis was the only light source in this unreal venue, with passing clouds above, it's immersing the cave in its wan light. Laying weeping on the cold ground of the cage, crushed by the injustice of the whole situation, the young boy started to hum himself softly into sleep. Until the next morning nothing happens. The young Flynt couldn't catch much sleep because of the slight swinging of his cage. The man underneath him didn't move much, merely from time to time he was moaning with pain, begging for a quick death. Wearily, the boy watched the first rays of sun restoring the colours to shapes that at dawn were grey, looking around the rocky walls whose form and dimensions are entirely different in the light. Unseen, he watched the rakk poults that seem as if they were hungry. He breathed in the damp early morning air and know that there is nothing on Pandora more beautiful than to capture that first touch of light shimmering in drops of dew. The rakk poults begged for food as their croaking parents bring them carcasses from skags, slithers and other critters from around. The nagging and sucking noises they made send goosebumps and shivers down the spines of the two inmates. This changes into light panic as one of them decided to leave the sheltered nest with its clumsy first tries, crawling to the rim of the ledge. Howling it jumps down, spread his leathery wings out and then the rakk started to take circles in the cave. From now above they hear the howling of the rakk which swift its noises to emit a screech at the moment as it dives down with a slashing attack towards the wanderer in chains. In massive pain, impaired mobility of the whole body and from an increasing loss of strength in the upper limb, the man screams. Pleasurably the rakk munched on his prizes cheek. The loud outcry was branded into the young Flynts brain in the same way as the noise of the bony plate on the top of the rakks head knocking on the revealed cheekbone of the wanderer, everytime when the rakk gnaw into the flesh with its slit-like mouth. Nausea crawled from deep inside in his stomach, so that his whole body was shaking. With no hope for help he retracted his legs, sobbing, and curled up into a ball, shutting his ears to the raving soundscape until the screams of pain stopped.

Several hours passed before the rakk joined his howling flock outside the cave. Through the narrow gap, where Captain dragged his younger sibling into the cave, a light beam comes closer, accompanied by running, lightweight steps. „Zane?“, a girls worried voice echoed into the cave. „Zane? Are you here inside?“, the steps came closer. The boy wiped his tears away and made a noise, so his sister could see him. She didn't examine the inner of the cave to close, because the terrible smell made her almost vomit, instead she loosened the important knots to do a safety and right abseiling of the cage above. As soon as her brother was free they fall into a warmly embrace. „One day, they'll never ever see me again.“, strong-willed the boy nodded at himself, as his sister took his hand with an mischievous grin: „But promise me, that you'll not leave without me.“ The young boy grabbed the backpack of the wanderer and replied: „Promise!“, sealing it with an pinky promise to his sister, before the two siblings leave the cave for good.


	4. Dissension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zane and Ava had to face the Flynt sister, who nowadays runs the encampent around the gigantic bucket-wheel excavator, called Thor. She wants to reunite with her brother and force him to fulfill an task for her, to bring her the sirens of the sanctuary.

Zane stared in the bandits sapphire blue eyes, remembered he didn't saw his sister in donkey’s years. Something around twenty-fives to thirty years, he acknowledge. He knew he made a mistake with breaking a promise which was so important for her by left her behind and this feel of guilt reaches him right now. If she only knew why, maybe she would understand, maybe, and that is more than possible – not. He considered the options he and Ava had, then decided to just let his sister tell them what's the matter here. He hated being locked in an situation like this, with more than just the responsibility for himself.

„Violet!“, he folded his hands behind his back, standing tall.

Smiling, she still danced in circles around them. „How fond of you, brother, to bring me a siren dolly doll.“, she pointed out at Ava.

Outbursting into a hard laughing to this conclusion of hers, Zane couldn't help but just be him:

„Ohhooohhhooohhhooo, no, I really don't think so! No, no, no!“, shaking his head he added: „We apologize to disturb what ever you have here, but maybe next time we stay for a pint.“

„You know an unexpected gift is even greater than one you are anticipating“, Violet mused, and it seemed to Zane that her blue eyes were staring right through him. „You owe me one.“

All of Zanes senses tickling his cybernetic reflexes to grab Ava and leave as fast as they can.

„Actually, we're in a bit o' a hurry, sweetie“, he said apologetically, „and i _really_ hate to cut this lovely conversation o' ye and me, but it's _really_ late. I don't s'ppose there's any chance we could maybe postpone this 'til tomorrow, is there? I promise i'll come back.“

„Why leaving so fast?“, Violet emphasized, as the sunset on this planetside began to turn the golden sands around them into a rusty orange. „We have to celebrate this reunion – and I have such a great idea. You my dear brother have taken every kind of mercenary and assassination job in the galaxy, so here is another – the payment is extraordinary high.“

„Nah, ye know, I'm kinda in retirement.“, he replied.

Violet was not amused about his refusal. She just found him and she really would not take a _No_ from an answer.

„You know, I saw you and your Vault Hunter friends. You all are echonet stars. You cleaned this messy planet real good. But, isn't it funny, how you draw sirens around you. I mean, c'mon, four of them in one place – oh sorry, i mean three.", chuckling she goes on, "I'm sure, you can help me out with two. One we have here and – “, she waved to another female bandit who stayed inside the encampment, moving quieckly in one of the cabins there, as the boss wished for something.

„What's the point of your suggestions and assumptions here?“, Ava interrupted jittery, holding her maliwan smg close to her hips.

„Uh-oh, the lil' one is talking.“, she moved to Ava to reach out her hand to the girls face. Ava jerked and looked around in fear, while Zane pushed away his sisters hand with a quick motion.

The silence that follows his action unnerves him, even Ava remains quiet, though she looks like she wishes to speak. Zane knew it wasn't the best exemplary move, but he knows his sister love to destroy the things she touches. So how could anybody jugde him for wanting to protect Ava from the bad and destructive influence his sister had.

„You don't remember, didn't you?“, Violet turns to him. „When we were lil' fuck trophies, we dreamed to travel the galaxy far away from the hellhole called home.“, she leaned and whispered in his ear, „Together, we can erase past injustices.“

The operative was curious what she tried to bring up here and why she mentioned sirens. There has to be something she was up to and he was eager to find out. It has to do something with the task she wanted him to accept. He started to feel really uneasy in her proximity. Time will definetly tell him if the feelings on this are true, but nevertheless it is his gut feeling and he trusted his conviction enough to know when he had to search for more information – alone.

„Listen, Zane, this mission I want you to fulfill, is really important. For me. For us. This weight on your shoulders, I can feel it, really, i can. Believe me, when I say, I have the solution to all our problems. I just need this sirens here. And i can tell you one thing, you never asked, but you never wondered why you are who you are? All the circumstances that lead you all the years through your decisions and in the end back home.“, Violet smirked, looking him deep in his questioning eye. „You have a natural talent to gather the rarest beings around you. And now it's your time to thank _me_ for making _you who you are.“_

„I really don't know what ye talkin' 'bout, V.“, Zane stepped back, distrustful but still curious.

„You know. You just don't want to add one and one together.“, she hissed.

„Ye blabberin' 'bout yer mission and some past stuff, but this is just minus craic. The feck ye want with sirens 'n why ye think me is bringin' ye some of me closest fellas?“, he pointed out through clenched teeth, not so calmly anymore.

„Because“, she started, „blood is thicker than water. And I know what you think right now – but let me tell you – you are surrounded by traitors who lied into your face. They doesn't care.“, she turns to the entrance of her encampment, searching for the young bandit girl who still looked for the requested items. „They are strangers, no hard feelings here, but you can feel it to. Your thoughts about them are the same as mine.“ she added to her guess.

This strangers like she called them give him a place he can call home. He doesn't believe any of this bullshit. But feeling anger overcoming his mind for this insult of his chosen family. How dare she being so offensive to people she never met. Maybe some of them had secrets from each other, but everyone has. How could she even hold the thought he would sell out crew members. That's ridiculous, and when she thought so, she don't know anything about him. No matter what secrets or dark backgrounds – and how many of them, he would never betray _his siren._ Did his thoughts really all come together to end up at her. He had to admit that yes, they do. He decided everybody who will harm her, he had to kill, and he decided it a long time ago.

„Don't ye ever try to get inside me head“, he snarled, slamming her against a corrugated sheet iron. For several heartbeats they stayed there, his grip crushing her wrists. She stand his gaze, with actually no difference in their heights this was something she enjoyed. Finally, his displeased eye softened. „It's too dark for ye, lass“, he stepped back from her, releasing her wrists.

„There it is! The temper I need.“, she smiled, „I often wondered which will get you killed first – your loyality or your stubbornness? Maybe both.“ Violet shook her head, still smiling smirky. „Look, I need you to listen to this echo recordings.“

The banditgirl finally came back with three echos – they seemed really out of date – and handing them out to Violet. „Thank you my dear.“, shooing the girl away, Violet held the echos out to Zane. „Take them, get to know the truth.“ Forcing Zane and Ava inside the encampment, they had still no chance to contact the others or escape on their own, the female bandits of the camp followed Violet with every step, so they followed her lead too.

„Here“, she opened a door in one of the shacks, probably leftovers from Dahl. „Go in, make yourself welcome. Hospitality is a family thing.“, she winked. „Listen to the echos, maybe then you'll understand that we can work here together. I'll tell you all you need to know – soon.“, Violet locked the door.

**~**

There where nothing more than a shelf with small things on it, a chair nearby, a bed with a dirty sheet and a small table in this shack. Ava seemed nervous, Zane couldn't blame her. She was holding all the grudges from the beginning of the confrontation. He wonders why she came down here, in any case he had questions. The young commander headed towards the bed to sit down and looking up to Zane.

„Vault Hunter“, her voice quivered, so that he felt really sorry for her to expierence this. „What the hell just happend here?“

The operative placed the echos on the table before sitting down in the chair.

„Tryin' to figure it out.“, he responded. „But first, why where ye here? Ye can't just leave the ship without sayin' a word to anybody – not as commander 'n especially not as ye do with a head over heels mentality.“, he hated it to teach her a lesson in a thing he probably would do the same way she does, but he worried much about the young lass.

Looking away she began to bite her lower lip. „I... I couldn't sleep. The thought of Maya was keeping me awake...“, inhaling her eyes watered. „I just have the strange feeling I have to be here. I can't explain it, but it's like there's something calling me.“

This hits hard, wasn't what the operative expected to hear. Rather he was ready to hear a wild story about vault-hunting and being imprisoned, or what ever teens this days feel about responsibilities. He nodded, so she could speak further.

„I thought I can find some answers down here. I really didn't mean to endanger someone. I feel so stupid right now.“

„Look, I saw what great job ye did out there. This three-bubble siren thing – deadly!“, he encouraged her, „Didn't know Maya had this similar kind of power as Mara had.“

„She didn't. Actually, Amara thaught me that with all the lessons about focussing on my inner Zen. I considered meditation and focus as boring – but without that … today I maybe...“, she swallowed hard as the tears finally began to run over her rosy cheeks. „I would be dead like Maya... Vault Hunter, I really miss her.“

Overwhelmed by the crying girl the operative reconsidered his words. He wanted to tell her, to be brave, not to run away like this and finally command things on the ship. But here she was, still a young teenage girl, not a skilled commander with years of experience of how to instruct a bunch of Vault Hunters, how to guarantee safety for new and old crew members, how to deal with loss. The only thing she had were them.

Ava traced her tattoos with eyes full of tears. „I miss her and I didn't mean to bring you in such a situation like that. I don't want to cause death and disappearance to people around me.“, she sobs. „Does this feeling ever ends?“

„Lass, don't cry.“, his voice softens and he decided to sit down next to her. „Nothin' of this was ever yer fault, ye understand? We can't controll how events went, how the opposite reacts it's up to them.“

„But...“, she whimpered, „but it hurts.“

„Of course it does“, he mentioned. „The truth is the hurt we feel is how we know it was love. The absence 'n the deep guilt we feel is only the proof we had somethin' that can be lost.“

She looked up to him. „And, when it does stop?“

„It won't. Ye just learn to live with that. That's how we survive. Never let the pain break ye.“

She nodded, „Thank you, Vault Hunter.“, wiping off her tears with the sleeve of her shirt. „So, we can't go for a pint right now, but can I ask you something?“

„Sure, why not“, Zane responded with curiosity in his voice.

„Can you, pleeeaase teach me how to shoot?“, her eyes began to sparkle.

He saw her sparkling which comes naturally with a real cute joyfulness and laughed out. „This' ye want?“

„Yes, please, I mean, I really love to train my mind and stuff... but, nah, this is in perpetuity sooo boring. And as the commander i should know how to use guns effectively. Right?“, her mouth curved into a smile.

„Ah, that's no problem. Promise.“, he checked out the room, when Ava grabbed one of the echos to play it.

It was the one with Tannis' and Steeles name on it. In the beginning they hear Commandant Steele, a former siren leader of the Crimson Lance, telling the Vault Hunters, after the death of Baron Flynt, that there is no fourth vault key and that Tannis betrayed them. She and Steele fabricated this story, so Tannis get what she wanted. Barons death presumably. The message crackled and a new recording sounded out.

_"I see you either received my message or came here on some other errand. The Lance locked me in here and shut down the ECHO, but they left my communicator with me. That was really stupid of them. You probably hate me, but I didn't intend to betray you. Steele wanted the key and wanted you gone. Sending you after Baron Flynt was her idea, and it seemed like something you'd enjoy, so I went along with it. Now I'm trapped here, and she's taken the Vault Key."_

Message ends.

Both, Ava and Zane were speechless. Especially Zane never got to know the circumstances of his older brothers death. He remained silent for a few seconds.

„We'll need ye lock picking talent.“, he nodded to the door.

„Vault Hunter, you wanna talk about this?“, Ava studied him silently.

„Honestly, no.“, the operative replied, arms crossed over the chest.

„Okay, so why they don't take our guns and equip? I thought baddies which took hostages do that.“, Ava stand up to head to the door.

„Maybe they're a little bit neglectful.“, he glanced to the table where the remaining echos wait for their use.

Ava tried the lock again and again, and finally the buttons pop up, the door was open. The operative and the commander high fived.

„Nice one.“, Zane sticks his head carefully out of the door. The coast was clear, so he beckoned to Ava to follow him. It was night, just the many torches and a view lights guided their way up as they walked along the walls of the shacks to an alternative escaping point, which was unguarded. As soon as they reached this point Zane took his drone off his jacket and handed it to Ava.

„Vault Hunter, what the heck?“, the girl peered at the drone.

„Listen, ye head straight to the Fast-Travel-Station. Don't ye dare to come back. Zoomer will guide ye the way and he keep an eye on you.“

„No, that's nonsense. You can't stay here with the psychos, without your drone or any other help and most importantly alone with the echos.“, Ava declared.

Zane sighed at her, „Let me regulate something, i'll be back soon – and Ava, don't tell 'em others what exactly happend here. Not now.“

„You've to be kidding me.“, Ava snorted. „I can't leave you alone.“

„Just this time, _commander._ “, he winked. „And I'm never alone – had me clone here, and me lovely girlfriend.“, he pointed at his revolver. „Now, please, leave.“

Reluctantly the young commander activates the drone and headed straight to the Fast-Travel-Station, which wasn't that far. Zane breathed a sigh of relief as he watched her go to a better and safer place.


	5. Good Mornin' Tiger ;)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amara retrospects how a simple message in the morning could have such an impact on her well-being.

It was about five-thirty when the first voices echoed through the ships hallways. The bathrooms of the sanctuary III were parted in two. One part was for the citizens and refugees, like a community bathroom. They had some basic standards that included 7 separate toiletcabins, 5 sinks and 7 showers with limited time of warm water pouring down the shower heads. Nothing like a five star hotel bathroom, more like a plumbing unit but still good enough to stay around here. The real luxury was reserved for the main crew. Besides the commander and his pilot which had their own bathrooms coupled with their quarters – and Ellie who had her own thing down in the shuttle bay – the Vault Hunters have seperated bathrooms for their own use. Four full well appointed rooms with big showers, sticked bath- and hand towels in decorative baskets below the clean vanity, some canldes on the counter and a closet for own things like showergels, brushes, and all the little things they need. A bathroom is the place where someone can lock the door and relax, so making it a place of pure luxury was the first attempt. As Amara came out of her bathroom with a blast of green tea leaf extract mixed with sandalwood-scented steam, her skin spangled with droplets of water which where dancing around her swirled blue tattoos, wearing nothing more than one fluffy purple towel decorated with an golden mandala all over. Her cheeks red, she scuttled down the hallway to her room, her feet leaving wet half-moon prints on the metallic floor. Passing some people she greeted them with a warm smile and a „Good morning!“ And all they were left was an open mouth and starring after the siren as she walked towards her room. As for Amara, she doesn't realized what effect this morning ritual of hers had to a few of the people around there.

Back in her room she put on some clothes to start her morning meditation. She sing-songed herself with an om-based mantra into meditation to a quieter level of awareness in an transcendental state, where she goes deep in her mind, channeling the elements which where pulsing in her veins, she gained a sense of universality, a sense of oneness with every element. She switched fluently between them, wanted them to become one, reaching a energized body-mind meditation state like this let her tattoos sparkle in all colors, from red, to blue, from blue to green. These meditation, puts her body in a exerting effort, but the mind stays totally calm. She always loved the strong breathwork practices to get into this state of her mind. After her meditation she stood up and do the most welcomed thing in her morning routine – turning on her echo. As she hoped for it, the echo blinked with an message, which she immediately opened.

_Good mornin' tiger – don't skip leg day today – ye can't spell legendary without leg day ;)_

Slightly she regrets speaking out that she fears leg day with her trainer, back when they visited the wedding of Hammerlock and Wainwright on Xylourgos. She had had known better than the operative doesn't recall this little fact. Her mouth curved into a smile. Speaking of which, Zane sends her messages like this every morning. This was the one thing that keeps her smiling and willing to wake up every morning. She appreciated his subtle way to cheer her up, to make her feel like nothing bad that happened can ever broke her. She clearly remembered how this little echo messaging thing started.

_*~*_

That afternoon back on eden-6, right after destroying the worshipping camps of the calypso twins, Fl4k and Moze head back straight to Reliance to report the success of the mission to Clay. Other than their teammates which where so excited about shooting some dickass God-King's Chosen and God-Queen's Chosen right in the face and finally detonating a bomb - which doesn't worked out as it should have – so the remaining two get some own kind of fun afterwards. Driving the tactical through the shallow wetlands of Floodmoor Basin opened one or two funny driving habits like drifting at higher speeds and jumping across the man-made corrugated iron sheet ramps. Zane done it with an ease which Amara started to adore. Accompanied by heavy rock tunes from the radio she moved light headbanging in the gunners seat with the excitement and rhythm of an orchestra conductor, whose chief responsibility was to perform with the ensemble of the turret besides her and only secondarily to lead it. In this moment she felt free, each sorrow she carried in her heart disappeared with every single puddle they drifting through. The tactical was pretty fast with the pedal to the metal, at least it seemed that way – both of them was used to drive fast. In reality the tactical's top speed was just a joke compared to the one of the outrunner. The tactical rattled down the swamp road, swaying heavily during the turns and short drifts around huge tree roots.

It was sultry, and stormclouds were forming in the north. Thunder rumbled, nearer than excepted, so that the static of the radio speakers from the dashbord crackled. As soon as rain begins to fall, the thunderstorm was above their location. With the last growling thunder the tacticals electronic give up like it was in his last breaths. A crackling echo message from Fl4k reached their ears. He informed them that the thunderstorms always came with a massive amount of rain which flooded the extensive swampy zone down there and the road to Reliance was already inundated. Moze interrupted to add that this can take hours and there's no chance to reach them in time. Since the tactical was about to give up, Zane send his drone out of the car to search the area for a temporary shelter. Faster than expected they found a tree house with more steps than necessary. It looked like it was made for such an situation like this. Amara and Zane took shelter in the framehouse. It was light dark inside, no soul seems to live in there, just the glare from the lightning which falls through the window and Amaras glowing Tattoos enlightened the small room. Amara glanced at Zane, seeing him smiling at her. He decided to sit down on the ground in the middle of the room, sidealong the entrance to look over. Amara followed his lead, sitting back to back. She leaned her head back, relaxing her neck and find an optimum relaxed position for her body. Still something was nagging at her mind but she couldn't follow her thoughts fast enough as Zane breaks through the silence.

„Wanna talk 'bout it?“, his calming voice tells her he was serious at this moment and that he obviously notice her current mindset.

„Three times...“, Amara stated calm, nearly cold as Zane can feel the sirens muscles stiffen up as her emotions seem to grind their way through her body, „three times we were so close to simply end Troys life. But still Rat Boy breathes and one of my sisters is dead because we didn´t make it back in time.“, she let out a long sigh.

„Standing paralyzed a bit every time the langer showed up. Teachin' him a lesson isn't the easiest task we had. He has some good skills on him that fella.“, Zanes voice rose barely above a whisper, raw with pain and exhaustion.

„Skills he had not been gifted with, but took – no stole from others!“, Amaras head tilt to the side to throw a glimpse at the operative behind her. Her tattoos glow and gleem up under the clench of her fist, leaving the whole hut fill with a soft glow, „Only seeing the commander without the gift that´s rightful hers makes me wish to see how many times I can punch these two before they stop struggling.“, she gritted her teeth.

The thunderstorm intensification with the heavy rainfall over the marshlands marked out the air from warm to cold and wet. By now there was a cold breeze blowing from outside inside the framehouse. The windows in fact where more than penetrable. Though the flare of her tattoos they spotted a few things in the room like a sideboard with burned down candles on it, one armchair, a recamier and a lot of papers and small empty boxes in the corners. Nothing to use to warm the room up.

Zane gives Amara a little nudge with his shoulder, „They will pay for what they stole and we'll make sure you can punch this fecker so hard, he'll be send through the whole galaxy just to crash into a meteorite for good. There's no chance we let him touch ye... I mean, ye know... uhm“, he suddenly started stammering the last words, than remained quiet.

The last comment hit Amara by surpise the siren tried her best to stay calm, but a little chuckle evade her due to the operatives statement, „I think it needs more than a plain touch to break me, still it´s nice to hear that you make sure that any hand reaching out for me is Zane-approved.“

„That's what teammates are for.“, Zane responded with a laugh. „Besides, legaly kickin' annoyin' kids arses 'r helluva entertainment.“ There he was back on the track.

Amaras head turns a bit, trying to see Zanes face a bit more as the operative had so light fooded stepped around the topic, „You´re in the better position here, already having a long-term partnership with yourself. So if you tell me that part of it means keeping an eye on whoever lays a hand on each other, I guess I have no other option than to believe it.“, smiling a bit more, Amara teased him more, „...so I assume your handsome counterpart allows me to touch you then, hm?“

Laying his arms behind him on the ground to stretch his back a little bit, the operative reassured, „As me know this handsome bastard, 'n for sure me do, he would rather be touched by ye all to himself.“

Amara wasn´t able stop chuckling, happily letting the operative take away her hateful mindset. Letting his remark being unanswered, the siren falls slowly in a soft and calm pace again. „After seeing what they had done to Lilith I was sure there was no place or space for fun anymore. Every morning i wake and the only thing I can think about is how I will make them pay. Sometimes I think there´s no other way then to always be angry.“

„This is how it worked for ye at this point o' time.“, he lowered his voice. „Go through this meself a long time ago. Ye have to figure out how to see light through the storm or it'll carry ye away.“ Laying his head on her shoulder he added, „Once a smart siren said - _get good or die –_ I think this is what fuels the motivation to stand up for the right thing.“

Amara fall silent once more. She always had fought alone, she never had relied or even needed someone else than herself and her gifted powers, but right now, with the operative in her back, she felt a strange kind of rest. A simple feeling that she don´t have to go through this alone, „Seems like this little siren needs to be reminded of that a bit more often.“, her words so low, they more became a loud whisper than a regular conversation.

Zane nodded more to himself as he asked, „May I ask ye when ye first noticed the sirenpower?“

„Partali wasn´t a nice place – it still isn´t, but way better than it used to be. Back in the days in the Den, it was normal that our training was interfered so often from thugs or criminals. The poorest of the poor take whatever was not nailed down, to gain some few bucks to at least fill their growling stomaches by just a bit.“, she paused shortly to exhale. „They robbed me just in the middle of our training. My clothes, my training equipment, everything was gone. All I was able to do was hitting this punching bag, you've seen in my room on the ship. I let it all out on it. My anger, hate, frustration and suffering, and then, I felt it. Like a curtain slowly lifting, my fists become faster and faster, each and every blow becomes stronger and stronger, even if I had hours of training behind me.“, the siren starts to grin, closing her hand once more to force her tattoos radiating in a soft glow once more, „One more punch was enough, the chain of the bag broke under the heaviness I threw at it, making the bag fly across the whole room, bursting into a cloud of dust and cotton as it hits the wall. My arms dangling down from my body like a ragdolls, but my spiritual fists – they glowed like fires in the night. Bursting in power, and from that day on, no one ever managed to steal even a crump from our Den again. They tried, sure, but just as the punching bag, they all faced the same fate.“

The operative raised his head from her shoulder, „So ye embraced 'em from the very beginnin'. Me is impressed.“ He leaned a little bit forward to sank his hands in the pockets of his jacket. „Then ye decided to endanger yer life to protect helpless citizens?“

Again the Siren starts to laugh up, but this time her laughter was drenched in nothing else than self confidence, „No I choose to endanger the life of anyone who was to stupid or to stubborn to understand that you never make a siren count to three.“, she flexed her arm, leaving her kiss her biceps lovely. „My life started with this power. You can´t take this destiny from me. I was chosen to do this. Chosen to be the Tiger of Partali. Fear was never an option, backing away was never an option. I never endangered me. I became danger itself!“

Outside, the rain had gotten harder and the glow of the sirens tattoos were still illuminating the room. The droplets cascading down the windows turned the view into colorful dots against the grey dark background from outside.

„The Tiger of Partali.“, he replied lost in thoughts, observing the door. „Are ye hungry? We remain 'ere a little bit longer.“, Zane drew out a pack of six energieballs of his pocket and handed it behind to Amara. „Fresh from Jeb's. Guess somethin' really healthy with dates and nuts and no refined sugar or stuff.“

„Sattva. Good“, Amara thankful takes one of the offered balls and starts to silently chew on it. Her eyes closed as a bright and happy smile starts to form on the sirens face. „I sometimes understand so easily how no one is even barely able to compete with me when i see what they made their bodies swallow.“

„An pint, or two, a day keeps the doctor away.“, Zane asserted. „What me would give for a pint right now – topped with a double cheeseburger – this would be deadly.“

„...Literally...“ Amara answered with a sarcastic pout as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. The moving made her shiver, the cold air from the pouring rain outside was so far off from the ways she used to live. „Say what you want about Pandora, but the last thing you would catch there is a cold.“

„Oh, ye clearly visited just the sunny side of the shitehole.“, the operative said with an uneasy trembling voice. „The nights in the Arid Badlands can be as cold as the entire Southern Shelf area itself.“, moving his back forwards Zane took off his jacket, turned around and placed the heavy clothing around Amaras shoulders. „This may help a little.“

Amaras facial expression turn into a scrunch as the heavy fabric lay around her shoulders. „Why you smell like fried circuitry and frozen meat?“, instantly the siren rised her hand to cut the operative from answering. „You know what, I don´t want to know in the first place. Every possible answer is gross.“

„That's all me“, he replied high voiced, eager to explain. „Plus a lot o' enemy angst 'n tears.“ Standing up, he offers her a hand. „Ye should rest, I can take the first round of the watch 'til ye feel warmer.“, he suggested the recamier, gesturing towards it with the head.

Deviating from her statement, Amara instinctly pulls on the operatives jacket, closer to her body, like she would not part with it that easily, only to see Zane didn´t seem to even think about taking it back. Amara hesitates to take his offer to take the watch, but giving him a chance to prove himself. Amaras hand gently finds his, using his hand to pull herself standing. Silence falls over the siren, she didn´t move, talk or breathe for various heartbeats, simply looking at the male in front of her. A nod was all she was giving him, turning away from him to find her place to get some rest.

The thunderstorm slowly passes by, as soon as the sun appeared in a clear strip of sky beneath the clouds, the wind fell, but the day remained warm with sultry air. Amara waked up with no feeling for how long she felt asleep. Not moving she looked around, her eyes wandered as they finally rested on the operative standing guard outside the cabin with his look over the marshes. She didn't hear rain or thunder anymore, there were just the typical flora and fauna surroundings which made the swampscape so swampy. As she checked her echo she noticed a message blinking on the display. Curious she opened it. The message was from Zane, written a couple hours ago.

_Good mornin' tiger! Hope ye sleep well and ready to share another date ;)_

_*~*_

Heading towards her nook Amara took an blender out of the cupboard and some prepared fruits and perfectly chopped vegetables from the little fridge. Adding them into the blender she cut some of the greens sprouts from her counter in it too. She knew how to make a good smoothie. The ingredients had to be fresh, organic and green. Though there's a coffee maker on the sanctuary, which a guy named Mike runs in a corner between Marcus' Munitions and Moxxxi's, the siren preferred something that doesn't poisened her body from within. Mike had personally selected the varieties of the beverage offered here, and a lot of people were looking forward to a cup of finest Arcturian Super Black Coffee, one of the many traditional investments he made. His place was well-occupied as morning was approaching. Even Moze loved the caffeine kick his coffee gives her to start the day.

Once Amara had her cup of the green smoothie, she stepped out of her room. The table near the Fast-Travel-Station were the place where the Vault-Hunters met on a regulary morning routine.

Drifting over to the table where Fl4k and Moze were sitting. Moze invited Amara to sit down.

“Join us, Amara.“, the gunner take sip from her cup with the dark, tasty elixir, which makes her feel awake.

Amara sat down next to the robot observing that both had black coffee cups ahead of them – strong enough to peel paint. Apparently soldier stomachs could handle such brews, but what about the beastmaster.

“Do you even drink this?” Amara asked Fl4k.

„I don't.“, the robot replied short. „But the Jabber had a thing for this.“

„That explains why he's hanging off the ceiling everytime and looked like a psycho which could kill you in an moment of unawarness.“, Moze pointed at the Jabber hanging above them.

„You shouldn't poisen Meat-Thief that hard.“, Amara sighed.

Fl4k shrugged his shoulders. „Do you have seen our commander this morning?“

„Oh yeah, we totally need her admission to complete a task from the mission board.“, Moze showed her echo. „Something about lost reels on Promethea.“ Laying down her echo device on the table the gunner sipped further on her coffee.

„Sorry, didn't have seen Ava today. Todays training with her is cancelled – Leg Day.“, the siren sighs.

„Strange. She wasn't on the bridge, not in her room, neither by Tannis or hanging around at Ellies with Hermes. I mean, yeah Hermes was there, but she remained missed. Claptrap said he saw her at the night, sneaking down here.“, Moze sumed up where she searched for the commander.

Amara stared lost in thoughts on the empty seat on the opposite, wondering if Zane was still sleeping, though he send her a message. Possibly yes, wouldn't be the first time he partied all night, saying her good morning in the early hours, where normal people slowly wake up, and drifting himself into nightsleep.

Moze interrupted her wandering mind. „He possibly lying somewhere at Moxxi's, probably drunk as hell.“, she nodded on the empty seat besides her.

Amara shook her head and put a hand to her cheek. „I really doubt this. He's not like this.“ She felt caught in her thoughts.

„So... what is he like?“, the gunner teased the siren with a grin.

Amara feels like her cheeks heaten up. „He's cocky, flirtatious, too self-assured...“, her tattoos started to glow with a pulsing red-orange, „too smooth for his own good... and he has better hair than i do.“, quickly she reached for her smoothie and took a deep sip from it.

Moze bursted out in a laugh. „Sounds like you like him.“

„Nah, he likes himself too much for that.“, Amara replied, starting to calm down. How was this even possible that she talked herself in this state of something that doesn't sound like she at all.

„Riiiiiight.“, Moze winked, seeing the siren still blushing.

Several minutes later the sound of materializing atoms echoed from the Fast-Travel-Station. Amara looked in the direction as Ava appeared. The color drained from the face of the young commander, covered in blood, holding the drone and Mayas book close to her chest, she seemed like she wanted to cry. Amaras eyes opened wide, her breathing become shallow and rapid. Her heart stops to beat for an moment as she caught sight of the drone in the girls bloody hands.


	6. Sirens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They don't asked for that kind of briefing, but hey, new experiences lead to new adventures.

It had been only a few weeks when the Sanctuary III had been a much quieter place than it were back with the COV breathing down their necks. At that time, much of the work had been moved towards other projects like ship repairs, bonding with allies or giving refugees new homes on save planets. It had been a sign of a changing time, and an indication that the worlds were starting to move on from the whole corporate wars linked with the divine madness disaster. There were more secondary work left for the Vault Hunters, than hunting. At least they didn't get shot up here – probably. Only Atlas were troubled by an infiltrated group of hackers. They had even launched terrorist attacks on Atlas' field warehouses outside the Meridian Metroplex. This on top of a computer virus engineered to shutdown the planets communication system. A well-planned and coordinated attack that had sent Promethea into chaos for some days, before things had, thanks to Tannis who was send down with Zane to help Atlas out, settled down. She and her 'sirenish whispering' with machines and computersystems worked well and in no time the problem was solved. Amara had been to the briefings after the incident, she heard all kinds of opinions, various suggestions and prevention plans, so something similar to this could be avoided. Amara nodded a lot at this briefings – but truth be told, she understands not a single word from what Tannis told them. This was the only time were the operative wasn't close to her, away on a mission on another planet with unusal company. She didn't liked it, but she knew were exactly he was. To her, one thing had been clear – the Vault Hunters were still important. They weren't like the previous members. They didn't gone their separate ways when the Vault-thing was over. In this new climate, where unknown threats worked against them from the far reaches of the galaxy, it had made sense to bring such a team like them to the fore. Four different personalities who grew together, who had proven themselves in recent months as an able, synergized team. Ever since every one of them informed the others of new tasks they accepted from the missionboard or from new arrivals. Usually Amara worked with the Operative, because she enjoyed his company and the professionality his experience entailed, besides their extensiv manical destroying of bunches of enemies with a delightful pleasure, leaving a lot of mayhem like a sea storm with its crushing waves against an unprotected village near the waterfront. The fact that she was skilled and sometimes authoritative and in command was simultaneously something a lot of people couldn't handle. But she feels that he respected that, didn't wanted to topple that status quo because, as she suggested, it was the inner strength of his well-established identity that allows for such an support. She never felt nostalgic for the times on Partali where she fought alone against crime – before things had changed so radically. Yet, she missed the spotlight a bit. Giving autographs, being interviewed, receiving invitations to workshops and international events. But having watched her back while fighting free from the soul and having someone to relax with discussing everything and anything was something she wanted to remain.

Suddenly, sharply, Mozes voice bring the Siren back from her thoughts.

„Commander, what the hell happend?“, Moze putted down her mug of coffee. „Where have you been?“, she turned in the seat to rose out of it.

Avas hands were shaking, still holding the drone with the book tight. „I... uhm, was out for a walk. Just that.“, the Commanders nervous shriek wakes Amaras impatience though she says nothing.

„You're covered in blood.“, Fl4k perceived. „When the hunt injured you, you may pay a visit to the infirmary.“

„No, no, it's not my blood. I'm okay.“, said Ava.

„Just a walk then, huh?“, Moze moved towards the young Commander to check out if she really wasn't shot or injured in other visible ways.

„It's nothing, really.“, Ava wanted to slip around Moze to get out of here. But Moze just ignored that and positioned her in front of the girl – arms crossed.

„Commander, look, this“, the Gunner scrutinized the girl doubtfully, „doesn't look like 'nothing' or 'just a walk' for me.“

Amara observed the conversation with frayed nerves, unable to form words of understanding for the young Commander in her mind.

„I...“, Ava started, „Look, I messed up, ok!“, her jaw went slack. „My intuition told me to search for, I don't know what, and I followed this call. Things get messy, as they always do on Pandora.“, she tightend the grip around the drone and the book once more. „There were bandits, willing to shoot everyone near their encampment.“, she sighed. „I'm sorry, I never wanted to bring someone in trouble. I just follow my intuition.“

„Commander, you should've call for backup.“, Fl4k reached the by now cold coffee to his jabber.

„There was no chance. They outnumbered me in no time. Bad luck for them I am a siren.“, Ava relaxed a bit.

„So, why do you carry Zanes drone with you?“, Moze wondered. „Without the docking station to recharge it, it's pretty useless, isn't it?“

Ava backed a step away from Moze. „About that...“, a nervous smile escaped her. „The Vault Hunter lend it to me, so I could head back to the ship.“

The half-assed answers with no information in it jangled Amaras nerves so much, that she certainly rosed from her seat heading towards Ava, with a look on her face like an tiger who was about to maul his prey. „You endangered yourself by a spontaneous act without reflecting the consequences. Headless, you jump into some weird kind of self-discovery. With this kind of behavior you will never achieve full development of your abilities and talents!“, the burning in her veins scorched.

„I didn't meant to. The Vault Hunter said it is okay...“, Ava wanted to go on, but Amara interrupted her sentence.

„You can't expect there will be always someone who pulls out your head of the shit!“, Amara barked downright, still there was one question left, this one due to she reacts this way in the first place. „Is he alright?“

The dressing-down attracted more special attention than necessary. It was Fl4k who stand up with calm words and guided the others to follow him to the bridge. „We should discuss such tactical things in an less open expanse without snoppy ears all around.“

The tone of Amaras voice falls as she turned to the Beastmaster, „Achha! You're right.“

Moze nodded at Ava who was searching for someone who doesn't seem to eat her alive.

Without further ado, they continued the interrogation of their Commander on the bridge. Behind the closed door there were no curious people around – just an breezy AI in an teddybear who's navigating skills were on point.

Amara briefly looked up to meet Moze's, who undoubtedly had the same questions in her head. By far the worst thing that she had absolutely nothing that she could do right now, but thinking and worrying. Most of all she worried about was Zanes whereabouts. Maybe he was being held hostage, maybe they had put him through torture to force him to do something he doesn't wanted or maybe, and this was by far the worst thought crossing her mind – he had been killed. Amara shook her head, trying to shake off this awful thought. _It's not possible, he can watch himself perfectly._ Amara punched the counter at her side so that it crackled in an upgiving resistance. The crack pierced through the silence and startled Ava. Even the jabber, hanging on the ceiling, dropped his coffeemug out of fright.

„What's the fuss 'bout?“, Balex' smoky voice echoed through the bridge.

„We all have our off days in life.“, Moze said. „But, Commander, you owed us an explanation.“

Ava aims to Amara so she could hand her out the drone. „Look, I already said I'm sorry. I say it again, it was me who messed up, I sneaked out without a tone and it was my fault to getting nearly shot.“

The Siren seized the drone with care, her tattoos still glowing like marble swirls in a bright red-orange as Ava continued her explanation.

„When it wasn't for him to catch me up there, things may had gone more complicated.“, the young Commander sighed. „I..., maybe we..., set a ball rolling. But I can't tell you more – not now, I promised this. Don't worry much, he is alive. He just said he had something to regulate.“, she nibbled on her bottom lip.

That's what Amara needed to hear. „I'll go down there, just for safety.“

„Don't do something stupid!“, Ava shouted rapidly at Amara, immediately regretting it. „The Vault Hunter wouldn't want that.“

Amara stopped in her movement towards the entrance. „What did you say?“

„Hey, you two, calm the fuck down!“, Moze interrupted this whole thing.

„Yeah! Listen to this gal. We are all cool here.“, Balex cooed.

The Siren closed her eyes. Everytime she had the feeling her rage overcomes her in inappropriate situations she startet to breath in, counting down from ten to one. Reminding herself to reflect every passed moment. Nothing is as bad as it seems in the first place.

_Ten. Ava apologized sincerely._

_Nine. Look the facts._

_Eight. They possibly found out something important._

_Seven. You almost have emptied the delicious smoothie._

_Six. Ava said that Zane gives her the permission – for what exactly?_

_Five. Right, to follow on the spur of the moment she felt that night._

_Four. You smell good, this soap with green leaf extract is amazing._

_Three. Ava is in safety._

_Two. You overreacted a bit too much. Don't let your feelings overcome you – Oh, shut up mind._

_One. You've receiced a morning message which clearly stated he is okay._

Breathing out, Amara opened her eyes and leaned against the half broken counter. Her tattoos glowed differently, in their calm blue nearly purple state.

„What did you meant when you said you set the ball rolling?“, unknowingly the Siren runs her fingers along the curves and the ennoblements of the drone in her hands. This seems to help her staying calmed.

„We met someone who handed us three echo recordings and the first one we listened to, this was, at least for me, a real shocking one. As I heard her voice and what she says, man that was so unbelieveable … I never thought she could be this sour...“, the young Commander swallowed hard.

„Of who? The voice of who?“, Moze asked antsy.

„It was awful. It gives me more creeps than every ratchnest I've ever seen.“, Ava circuited around the topic.

„Hey, Commander! Get to the point.“, Balex gushed.

„Tannis. It was one with Tannis' voice and another female I never heard before.“, outbursted the girl.

„What's wrong with this?“, Fl4k intervened.

„I really shouldn't tell you this.“, Ava wanted to refuse further statement as it was for her, she told them more than necessary.

„C'mon, we'll find out sooner or later.“ Amara glanced at the drone in her hands. She never realized that Zoomers painting was the exact same color as Zanes jacket. The dark black mixed with lighter anthracite that covered the surface, even the accentuated yellow from the inside of his collar were bright shining, the drone looked like a C _reature Of The Night –_ How did she never noticed this.

Moze nodded in agreement to Amaras statement. „Yo, what exactly gives you this creeps?“

„I don't think, that exactly _this_ is the necessary topic here. There is something more to this, something more...“, Ava couldn't finsih her answer. The door of the bridge opened and Tannis' voice sounded through the hall in full integrity.

„Well, maybe we can shed some light, before your simple thoughts plot some kind of conspiracy in here.“

Interrupted in the conversation the group looked up to the front door of the bridge, where both, Tannis and Zane appeared at the doorway.

Amara breathed a sigh of relief, with a slight smile on her lips. Looking up at the familar face of the Operative let all the stress and tensions leave her body as if they'd never catch her in the first place.

Zane had a brown folder tucked under one arm, and he went towards into the room, Tannis at his side following him, stopping before the Hyperspace-Terminal. He took out a floppy disk and plugged it into the terminal. The appearance of a hologram projection showing a planet they all never seen or visit before – Frondea.

Amara frowned when she read that name, not knowing why.

„What is this planet?“, fascinated Ava stood besides Zane.

„We don't know much, yet.“, he started. „Only that Dahl had been paid by a third party, takin' instructions from 'em that passed through official offices with all the appropriate clearances, suggesting further infiltration. They were ordered to cut off all access to the planet under the guise of protecting it“, opening the folder, he took out a sheet.

„Than they must hide something there.“, Moze added. „But the real question is, who was the third party?“

„Tannis, you worked for Dahl.“, Ava focused at the Sirentologist.

„Yes, yes I have, but this was not my métier.“, Tannis answered.

Holding the sheet Zane turned around to the others. „More or less it all comes down to Sirens.“

Maybe the others didn't noticed it, but Amara could clearly see how Zanes expression darkened a bit. The otherwise so relaxed Operative in those near everything seemed to be so in ease showed this side only once as she can say. The one time she remembered clearly, it was when they got double-crossed from Freddie in Jacks Casino. He didn't show it much and behaved loose as usual, but she senses that this betrayal was nagging on him. And now, she can see it again – his mind working, matching together causalaties. How he runs his hand through his hair, and it still remains in its position, she found this was something about him she could observe everyday and it'll never stop being kinda attractive to her.She slightly understands why Ava wanted to hold her back, but it definitely had to do something with the last sentence. Sirens. No matter what, but maybe there was a chance someone is out there who she'd been ready about to beat to a pulp. Slowly escaping her thoughts she noticed that she was to focused on Zane and he caught sight of this. As they eyes met, his darkened expression fades away and he winked at her with a smile.

Tannis took the sheet. „This is a document like I never seen before. It shows a graphic presentation of all so far known Sirens. Dead or alive.“

Moze and Ava simultaneously reached for the sheet in Tannis hands. Moze reaching it first, pulling it literally out of her grip, which Tannis left escaping a bristle with anger. „Careful! This is an important one of a kind document and not one of your cleaning rags to wipe up some oil from the floor!“

„Yeah, yeah.“, Moze snorted. „What are this arrows are for?“, the Gunner traced some arrows between the names with her eyes.

„They look like connections between the Sirens.“, Ava remarked. „Someone found out who the Sirenspowers of the respective Siren got. Dedicated or simply attracted.“

„Where do you get this information from?“, the Beastmaster catched up from cleaning up the broken cup.

„Long story short. Me sister runs the encampment Ava stumbled into.“, Zane gave a slow shake of his head. „I borrow this folder – by this I mean I'd stole it. She's searchin' for Sirens, clearly not in the 'lets be friends' way 'n she's up to somethin' she can't achieve at this time.“

„You have a sister?“, Mozes eyes opened wide with curiousity.

„Remaining sibling, yes.“, he replied what leaves Moze nodding silently.

„Vault Hunter, how you and Tannis made up after this what we hear on the echo?“, Ava asked.

„Oh, we didn't 'made up' _._ He stumbled into my lab, throwing that echo at my desk and examined my reaction on this like I'm an test object.“, Tannis wheezed in irritation.

„She put a statement to this 'n now where even.“, the Operative nodded and took another sheet out of the folder. „Here, this one shows that me sister is searching for the two new Sirens.“

„New sirens?“, Amara wondered.

„Obviously yes. When a Siren dies their sirenpower is dedicated to another Siren – in example like Maya dedicated her powers to Ava – or this vigour is searching for someone who is worthy of this enormous responsibility.“, Tannis explains.

„No matter what, we have to find this Sirens first then.“, the young Commander smiles.

„But we have no clues how to find Sirens. They can be everywhere in the galaxy, and they definitely can be at any age from 0 to 100.“, the Gunner handed the sheet back to the Operative.

„Not only this. We have to find out why this planet“, he pointed at the hologram behind his back, „is being kept under tight wraps 'n who determined that. There must be evidence, some kind of payments or names. Somethin'.“

„This whole Dahl and the third party thing is a great conspiracy theory, really," Moze said, „and now that the general public and each bandit and psycho out there knows that aliens are real and that we have spaceships, well, the conspiracy theorists are having a genuine field day. Especially on the echonet.“

„Sounds 'bout right.“ Zane flipped open the report within the folder, brief as it was it doesn't give up more informations. Much of what Zane had mentioned was detailed within, and just as frustratingly vague. In essence, they all had learned little more than they had already found out for themselves. And that was the most frustrating thing about all of this, the lack of answers. Mystery upon mystery, and no indication of just how legitimate all the informations were.  
  
„I get the feeling that digging into this sort of thing could be bad for my health“, Tannis said, looking back up at Zane. The Operative nodded in acknowledgement, a similar thought having no doubt occurred to him as well.

„I wonder how long that'll hold up?" Zane closed the folder and take out the floppy disk of the terminal. He would go through it in detail later, when he had the proper time.

„We need more briefing into this.“, Ava said impatient.

„Yes, but first this ol' man needs his beauty sleep.“, the Operative gives her a cutting glance. And he was right. He and Ava didn't sleep at night, the exhaution was clearly visible. „We talk 'bout it later. Y'all go back to yer work.“

Amara saw what the others, now chatting among themselves, doesn't even notice – Ava had stopped talking and whispered something to the Operative in private. Zane smirked weakly as though he remembered something, shaking it off and headed for his room.


	7. The Innocence Of Amara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, this escalated quickly."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All parts which Amara speaks are under my hubby's supervision. We had a lot of fun writing this conversation between Amara and Zane - and now I know how much a man can do wrong (really, is there something that a man can say to calm down a woman?!) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it ;)

Zane Flynt was a man on a mission. Walking through an unsurprisingly chatty hallway, passing Mikes coffecorner, where the delicious scent of fresh coffee filled the air, he had convinced himself to spend the remaining evening at one of his favorite spots – Moxxxi's. To many hours passed since he had a good pint and this whole situation justified the desire for an cold, refreshing drink. Additional to that, his sister pointed something out, he barely could put together. Thanks to the suggestions she sprinkled to him, his mind wandered, and it was almost impossible to get some rest. Arrived in the lobby, he stood for a while taking in the sound of the pianos soft tunes. In front of him, the bar entrance beckoned. Inside, the ceiling lights were muted, allowing the glow of the three slot machines to fill the room. As he moved toward the entrance, the sounds of gambling and cheerful people dancing drew him in. Zane took a stool at the counter, spreading some documents from the 'borrowed' folder ahead of his view. Moxxi greeted him with her usual smooth, „Hey sugar, what can i do for you?“ Smiling at her, he ordered a pint of cold swamp ale, fresh from Eden-6. It was odd for someone so natural snarky like Zane to be looking so openly troubled. As his gaze catched one of the sheets, he focused on one name on it, that was so familiar that it breaks his heart literally – Dawn, he began to try and piece together what had exactly happened to get him into his current predicament. Before he left his quarter he opened one of the two remaining echo recordings out of curiosity. The sound of the music box playing soft tunes and the lullaby singing woman in the background in this rechording made his heart ache even more. Memories he never wanted to remember again. None of them. Bury the past, never look back. It was hard to say goodbye to the man he was so many years ago, the man who risked a lot to change, yet nothing changed. He wanted to know the why and the how in a way that his sister hadn't explained. How the heck she could have all of this informations? It made no sense to him.

A few little steps tracked Zane, Amara had followed him to make sure the so obvious troubled Operative was alright. She was not amused that he hadn't talk to her first, but she wanted to believe he had his reasons. Turning around to lean against the bar with her back, she stretched her whole body a bit to look at his concentrated expression, „You want to talk about it?“

Deep in thoughts he first doesn't noticed being asked something, until the well-known scent of green leaf extract with sandalwood tickles his senses. He looked up, realizing his teammate stood beside him, so he lifted his head and smiles at the Siren. „Ahh, I see ye used me soap – again.“ Ignoring her question.

The Siren seemed to tremble in a soft anger, nothing that would make her look fearful, but enough to show the Operative that this wasn't what she asked. Amara reached for Zanes face, obvious not to give him any form of a pet, instead she snipped her finger against the tip of his nose. „Keep your nose out of my scent.“, she snarrled. „What in the six galaxies was your plan?“

Astonished he blinked his eye. „Ouch. What' ye mean? Plan?“, offering her a seat besides him.

„Letting the Commander returning with Zoomer alone, staying off the echo and leaving her yammering about 'she was told to stay quiet' and now returning with the casual sentence 'I met my sister'?“, Amara was caught up between so many various boiling up emotions, so she decided simply hold to those she knew the best – rush forward. Displeased and angry she dropped her weight down in the seat next to Zane, huffing soundly as she made herself a bit comfortable „Bevakooph.“

He shuffled the sheets together, waving with one hand at Moxxi. Amara got it bad, when she calls him obviously an 'Idiot', that he had to pour oil into the waves, and calming the waves before a storm comes up. Moxxi understands the gesture, mixed a cocktail with a blueberry bottom and a creamy top, without some sort of alcohol in it and served it to the Siren, than turning around and doing other stuff, letting them have some privacy – as it was possible in a bar with slotmachines.

„It's not like it seems. Ava is so easily head first into danger, that not followin' her would cause the worst. Stayin' under attack made echo calls rather impossible. Avas feelings lead her there, and I believe it means something.“, he take a sip of his pint. „Look, we were in a kinda hostage situation, the first thought was gettin' her out o' this.“, glancing at the Siren he turned the mug around with his fingers. „That 'sister thing', it's somethin' me head hadn't expected. Hit me hard, doesn't want to lie 'bout it.“

„And you thought ' _Let me go back to ma ship and make 'n entrance together with the science lass before me friends know me is fine_ '?“, holding one eye closed, Amara mimicked the Operatives voice. Her skills to mimic his voice were bad, even worse due her current state of agitation, but it hurts her bad, that his first stop was Tannis, „What kind of teamwork is this? The kind of teamwork that had brought Troy and Tyreen to fall? I don´t think so!“, she scowled.

„Ye got a point, but please never mimic me again.“, he winked. „It was in the middle of the night on the ship, everybody's sleepin', there where no need to blow up a whole encampment – so yes, doin' Operative stuff first, was me thought.“, he observed her with a fierce determination. „Besides...“, he inhaled sharp and stopped the thought immediately.

„Besides WHAT?“, Amara drilled a verbally hole into him. „Oh, you think my temper would ruin your operative stuff? Is that it?“, her arm glow up heavily, her tattoos seem to literally flame up as she still was calm enough to hear him out.

Zane took another long gulp, finishing his pint and sitting the mug down on the table between them. „Well, this escalated quickly.“, leaning forward to the counter he knew he had done something wrong, but he just couldn't figured it out now. All the thoughts around the one sentence from Violet, the echo recording with the music box, this whole damn situation, he was just exhausted, that he hardly can't catch not one thought to solve it. „Mara, I'm an feckin' idjit, but whatever gone wrong, me goal was never to hurt ye.“ It was like he was proving his point that whatever he decided, it turns into an endless agony. „Do ye wanna know why me thought was to involve Tannis first?“

„It´s not my top priority, but you can start there and still adjust how hard I will punch you afterwards.“, the raging anger within the Siren seemed to adjust, leaving her curiosity give him enough gap to explain himself. Amara bit her lip, trying to keep her mouth shut before another barrage of words would escape her.

„Tannis double-crossed the former Vault Hunters – Lil' and the others. Making them kill me brother, for personal reasons. Me sister is really pissed and she wanted me to sell Sirens out to her, and joining her for a reason, that I try to figure out. That's why.“, he explained reposeful. „Violet.“, he said, swirling the name around in his mouth like it was some sort of bitter and cheap booze. 

„And your first thought was HER?! She sometimes barks at me because she forgets how to articulate properly! And the only Siren you could think of to inform first of your return after been held hostage is HER?!“ Amara bursts in rage, smacking her fist on top of the counter, leaving it ache in pain, „Your Sister will fall like all the others that dared to step into the Tigers way!“

„Ye know ye the only Siren in me head.“, he mean it, and wanted to add _always._ But realizing that Amara was really pissed made him think, nothing he could say right now, would help to calm her temper down. He clearly messed up, for reasons he don't understand – clearly. _It's not like the Tiger of Partali were threatened in her territory_. There were no reasonable cause to this. „When it helps, I could volunteer as punchin' ball – I've got tricks.“

„Do. Never. Pull. This. Off. Ever. Again.“, with every word Amaras index finger pushed against the Opertaives chest, making him bend on his chair, and the chair with him. „I was with you as we fought the whole COV. If you ever choose some other Siren over me, it was your last time, Geaser.“, she clarified the position, grabbing her drink to drank it off at one draught. The cold of the drink seem to calm her down, leaving the glow of her markings slowly grow normal again. The Siren sighs, nods and looked back to Zane, „Tell me about your sister.“

Balancing the chair, he almost fell off of it, with one tactical movement of his leg, he managed to stabilize it. „She's an psychopath as they 'r described in dictionaries. As children we spent a lot o' time together, she was causing trouble, by this I don't mean casual childish trouble, I mean blowing up people with dynamite trouble. She causes it, I get the punishment from me brothers. One day, Captain, me older brother, the pyromaniac who tortures Claptrap, had enough and he wanted us to kill our parents.“, he sighs hardly. „No matter what, but this was an unacceptable task. But Violet, she simply do it. She ripped them apart. Thinkin' 'bout it now, this made it even much more worse that I waited for so long to leave. Besides me brothers, she was the main reason for leaving Pandora.“, the Operative took an ID card from his pocket in his jacket and lay it before the Siren. „This was me carte blanche to freedom, out of the shitehole – away from them. Received from a man who dies horribly, eaten alive by rakks, in a cave.“

„Seems like I should introduce her to the other end of my arms“, the Siren out of nowhere starts to smile again, nodding her head to the Operatives story, „The slums of Partali pull out the worst in people, just like Pandora. If you ask me, we don't need to look for my other Siren-sisters, we go back, take her and throw her into the void just like Tyreen.“, Amara smirked, giving Zane a slight reassuring nudge, „I heard hell is rather nice around this time of the year.“

„I appreciate yer enthusiasm.“, he said thankfully, willing to drop the topic.

Moxxi, hearing a bit of the story, brought them two glasses of whiskey. „This goes on the house, sugar.“, putting the amber liquid ahead of them, she winked.

„How yer leg-day with yer trainer went?“, Zane asked Amara with honest curiosity.

„I finally can crack nuts with them – like with my bare hands.“, reaching for the little fingerfood in form of some peanuts, Amara took one into her fingers and obviously let her male counterpart observe how easily she can press and grind the nut into dust. „Walnuts are finally ain't a probelm anymore. Next goal are coconuts.“

Narrowing his eyes he retorted. „One should've known better than let a Siren grab ye.“ Taking a long sip, relishing the warming scortch as it slipped down his throat. „Ye know we first have to find out what or who she's hiding? And why she wants Sirens.“

„New planet, huh?“ Amara simply shoved her offered glass aside, leaving it to Zanes supervision. „Do we have any idea what awaits us there? Any informations about the flora and fauna of the region? How's the planet populated?“, she asked frequently, „Since the wedding of Alistair and Wainwright on Xylorgous, I want to be sure about the climate and all the other things.“ Amara wasn't familiar with how cold a planet covered with snow could be, and since then her awareness for questions like this was triggered.

„A little research showed, it's a planet covered with woods, mild climate, not much technology. Probably the inhabitants 'r peaceful minded, 'bout the wildlife, hm, that's another story.“, with gratitude the Operative took her glass, after emptying his. Taking a sip from the second glass, he mentioned, „Speaking of Xylorgous, Eista asked if ye have time for a slass. He might pinged the wrong echo. Seems he likes ye.“

„No, no, Eista was trying to reach you. We had a good round just few days ago, we thought it's an unilaterally arrangement, so we wanted to ask you if you like to join us. Eista said, a slass of three had its own very unique charm, and I´m always happy to have someone there who knows how to use his weapon.“, the Siren radiated in joy, innocent like fresh falling snow.

Zanes elbow slipped right away from the counter as he swallowed his drink up, nearly chocking on it. „The feck?“

The Siren blinked at him completely confused. „You had slassed with Eista before. We simply thought it would be fun to invite you once more for good slass. Eista surely has a brute and wild force, but your dexterity is something Eista and I heavily worship.“, Amaras head tilts to the side as her innocend face turn to a provoking smirk, „Or are you afraid I can´t handle both of you at the same time? Eight arms. You forgot that?“

Moxxi tiptoed nearer to the two, to hear all the delicious details of how their conversation turned out, just to earn Zanes confused wide opened eye. He breathed in, paused, and breathed out. „Mara, I feel honored, but lass, ye know how this sounds? Besides me wasn't joking. How the big guy is glanceing at ye, I bet he likes more than just slassin' – ye're a worthy 'opponent'.“

The smirk of the Siren turned into a complete confused expression again. „How what sounds?“, Amara couldn't see the point he throws into his answer. Giving the Operative a nod, she said, „He invited me to a hunt for keif, but I declined. We had this talk a few weeks ago, making clear that our relation is completely physical. We meet, slass and head home again. I simply thought you may want to join, even more, now you stated what a worthy opponent I am. Didn't you ever thought about asking me for a little slass under teammates?“

Zane couldn't help, but it sounds all to wrong in his head. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe the innocence of Amara in such things – which he thought was really adorable. His eye searched for a helping hand, landing on Moxxi. The bartender giggles, swung over to Amara, leans in to whisper in her ear, „It sounds like you invited him to a menage-à-trois, sugar.“

„A what?“, Amaras gaze wandered between Zane and Moxxi. Help- and even more clueless what all the fuss was about it.

Moxxi still giggles. „A threesome, sugar.“

„But it is! … Oh...“, Amara growed quiet, and her cheeks reddened. For a few seconds it seemed like the Siren even stopped to breathe, before she simply stands up. „Thanks for the drink, Moxxi.“, Amara nodded in a calm way towards the bartender before facing Zane, „I go and...“, she went silent for a moment, then points out, „I go.“ Performing another nod towards him, she spinned around on her heel, ready to go.

„You two can visit me anytime for a menage-à-trois.“, Moxxi winked at the Operative.

„Amara, wait.“, Zane grabbed the folder with the sheets and the ID and slides smoothly from the bar stool.

„Zane, please.“, careful the Siren turned around to face him once more. „I would like to join up with Claptrap, using his too common waves of crying to hide my underneath it. Thank you for understanding.“

He could see her embarrassment though she did nothing wrong. „Actually, ye said nothin' wrong.“, he assured her. „I very much apologize. Can we talk in a more private setting?“ Zane put some tip at the counter and leads the Siren towards the exit.

„I heard the icy space is a nice place at this time of the year...“ she spoke lost in her thoughts as she simply nods towards Zane. „Now, with my entire dignity crumbled, I happily invite you on a tea in my room, if you like,“ smiling the Siren looks at the Operative, unable to show any other emotion than calm happiness.

Until they reached Amaras quarter, they said no other word. Shortly before they arrived at the frontdoor Zane stopped. „When ye feel more comfortable being alone for now, ye can take yer time, ye know this, right?“, he knew he pushed her to much, so that she barely had the chance to say 'no' before.

„I think I slipped over that edge a few moments ago, there's no possibility to make things even more worse.“, with a deep sigh she unlocked the door, stepping aside to leave Zane step in first.

„Oi! I'll bet ye think that.“, he said a little dizzy from the fast inhaling of the whiskey. The purple that shines out from her room, the scent of lavender and the coziness it offers – all this was very tempting. Shaking his head lightly he laid his hand on her shoulder, giving her an apologetic glimpse. „It's late, I should've do some more research for the upcoming briefing. Can't let it do itself.“, as he turned around, ready to go, he added with a candid smile, „Zoomer likes to stay over night, take good care o' the lil' bud.“

„I will go to bed and replay this nightmare just a couple of times until I will hopefully simply fade into the great beyond.“, Amara gifts him a little uplifting smile as she nudges her shoulder against his. „I will say 'hello' for you.“ Once more she tilted her head, her gaze wandering over her shoulder, resting on the Drone, which Zane had given Ava to keep her safe. „Don´t worry about the drone. It will be in good hands.“, looking back at Zane, Amara stops, hesitating before sighing deeply. Defeated and embarrassed she could bring up a little chuckle, giving her face a little rub with the palm of her hand. „Good night, Zane.“

„A good laugh and a long sleep 'r the two best cures. When ye need somethin', me door is always open fer ye. Sleep well, Mara.“, he gazed at the Siren, giving her a last half-smile, then leaving to the next door to his own quarter.


	8. Yearning Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looking back at the beginnings in his hitman career, Zane remembers all to vivid how he "met" his first Siren.

Sitting in front of his laptop, waiting for the calculations running in the background to spil out some relevant informations, Zanes thoughts danced all around the previous awkward situation. Not knowing where he had gone wrong, he must had crossed some invisible line. He never saw his teammate, his partner in crime behaving so furious and yet so embarrassed. The only thing he knew, was giving her the time she needs, this was the most plausible reaction, when he doesn't wanted to see his face being beated straight to the ground next time they met. Pushing a woman too far, especially a Siren like her, would never turn out positive, if the burning throughout her tattoos were any indication. He reached for the bottle of beer standing beside the laptop, taking a deep sip out of it. The televion over his bunk was switched on, with one of the so popular reality shows straight from Promethea, called „The Wives of the tech CEO's“, where all the lifes, secrets, betrayals and whatsoevers were exposed to the whole galaxy. More for acoustic reasons in the background, than for paying it attention – it simply made the room more vital. _Time_. Giving time – something stupid he decided. Why the feck she behaved like he owed her an explanation about his whereabouts, when he wasn't away for more than, what, five minutes? An explanation why he where first at the infarmery to hear Tannis out? What was so wrong about it? He don't wanted to involve her in something he didn't know a shite about, yet.

_Yeah, yeah, she can handle herself, nevertheless._

He had seen people get shot and killed on sight, often enough to imagine it quite clearly, he had even killed enough people himself, seeing lifeless bodies falling into a pool of dark blood spreading around. Alone the thought of the Siren being shot or worst made him angry.

_Just like Dawn. Because of ye._

No.

_Yer 'career' caused it 'n now she's dead. Ye should've known better than to drag anyone into yer feckin' miserable life._

Feck off! I didn't.

_Sure ye did. Ye know how feck'd up yer life is but yer were too busy feelin' sorry fer yerself, instead o' gettin' yer ass up 'n solve the problem as a professional. Instead ye latched onto the first person being nice to ye, 'n take everything from them._

This is not how it was.

_Ye take her father from her, ye ripped apart a family fer money, fer a job. Ye still a simple killin' Flynt._

Shut the feck off!

_What ye thought? Ye thought it will work out. But they are gone Zane-boy. Ye messed up._

Zane rosed his body from the chair and wandered around the table in the middle of his room, brushing with his hands through his hair.

_If ye involve someone, they will suffer from yer pure existence. Yer feckless. Ye'll lost yer precious Tiger, like ye lost a Siren before. Bloodbath worth the word._

Things his heart used to know, he wanted to bury deep and never think of it again, but his heart yearns to remember. Unconsciously he turned on the second ECHOrecording, while the cartridge was inside, he get from Violet. As the sound of a music box, playing a slow soft tune, echoed through his room, he clenched his fists, full in aching pain and anger he stopped his wandering, punching the wall to his right side so hard as he could, clenching his teeth to keep from screaming. „Shut up.“ His voice rose barely above a whisper, suffering from pain and exhaustion. The inner voice obeyed – for now, but the fecker was persistent and wouldn't stay quiet for long. The pain from the punch crawled slowly to his consciousness, instinctively he hunted for some painkillers from his cupboard above the sink, to swallow two of them with a good amount of his remaining beer. Sinking back into the chair, staring at the laptop and waiting for the drugs to drown out the voice in his head that had started up again.

_When someone's comin' fer ye right now, ye won't be wake enough to react in time._

Good!

Thinking back to his beginnings on Promethea, he lost the feeling of time.

_The whole megaplex of Saros, a city near Meridian, was illuminated in all colors of the rainbow, despite the irregular day and night rhythm of the planet. Blinking advertisements and overhead screens promoted for Reiss's Cheeses, lawyers with extraordinary promises and new filmpremieres plastered the fronts of buildings and skyscrapers. A cyclone roared through the night, trailing a smokey, discernible scent of fuel and combustion that soon mingles with the background smell of a megaplex with over fifty million of souls living in it._ _The cold wind making a young Zane Flynt shudder in his greatcoat as he glances up, his grip tightened at the black leather briefcase he carried with him. There was a constant stench of noxious gasses, caused through pollution from an intergalactic corporation, who's CEO doesn't care what they throw up in the air of the megaplex from their industrial parks._ _People running from one shopping center to another, from small shops to dealers in the dark alleys of the megaplex. As long as people keep buying unnecessary stuff and give out errands for almost everthing, an opportunistic can make money in this big city. Not with ease, but with skill and cunning - and Zane Flynt had both. Fresh as he arrived here with his stolen spaceship, it was hard to fit in, but he managed it somehow. The whole planet of Promethea was so much different compared to Pandora. This fascinating new ground needed to be expierenced in all ways. Zane could feel it under his skin, tickling at his senses. There is a time for everything, and his was a time for fresh beginnings aside from Dahl, who he had worked with for a long time before coming to Promethea._ _The young Zane Flynt smirks to himself as he slips from the alley and onto a larger street, cars driving by, tires hissing like a company of great angry snakes over the road. He flips up the collar on his coat and heads off towards a building site to an skyscraper yet in completion. The late night wind picked up as he reached the higher levels of the unfinished building. Opening the black briefcase he picked out parts of a fine Jakobs rifle and started assembling it. All the preparation took him under 10 seconds, so that he could fit in his prepared nest. At nearly a mile out, he had to be exact with everything or else the job, he had accepted would be a total write-off. Once he was sure he had the best accuracy possible, given the height differences of the two skyscrapers he checked the scope._ _With an small suburban house, a position as CEO in an company for individual waste managment and a family, the subject of interest was not the largest fish on the fishing rod, so he hadn't the need for security personal around him. Spending the entire life grinding your heel into poisining people and keeping the lower class from achieving affordable housing estates, raking up estate prices outside the megaplex, made people hated you, but nobody wanted to see your head being cut of the surface of the living world. For once a group of eco activists, who were highly engaged in vigorous political campaigns, whose first aim was to prevent damage to the whole environment they all living in, tried to sabotage the whole company. The man had the money to clean up the mess the activists thrown at him, not just this, he took down inconvinient operatives and corporate spies for a living, but lately he made the mistake stopping someone from another rival corporation, and Zanes purchaser wanted him to teach the CEO a lesson, by this he means erasing his existence once for good._ _Zane was just about to complete his errand. From the distance a helicopter echoed as it was approaching. The company logo on the side that was definitely the one of his target. The rifle nestled against his shoulder firmly, as if it were made to be there. Watching the counter on the top of the scope that gave him a digital readout of the direction and wind speed up here, he started calming down his breathing. As the helicopter landed he closed his eye to readjust its focus and began to steady his breathing, the natural pause between breaths is usually two or three seconds long. The target appeared from around the far door, a well-dressed man with black hair and a suit that costs so much a whole family of four could live from the money about one year long. By extending the pause of breathing to ten seconds, he had the window he needs to make his shot. Zanes finger drew along the cold metal of the trigger, hesitant to commit until the kill shot was certain, when a younger girl burst from the roof access door and threw herself into the arms of his target, followed by her mother, Zane only hesitated further._ _The young girl was something about eight to ten years old, her small pouch she carried with her reads the name 'Dawn' handstitched in it, her sleeveless dress showed Zane Flynt something he just had heard about but never witnessed with his own eyes. Beautiful bright blue tattoos swirled all over her left and right arms, flickering with every movement – she was a Siren. She was so small he could get the target with a headshot and avoid damaging the girl but the world around him felt cold with recognition. Repetition. His breathing stopped and his bottom lip quivered, knowing that to this girl he'd be the monster that killed her father. With no further hestitation he squeezed the trigger. The rifle kicked his shoulder, his hand catching the shell casing out of the air, he slipped it in his pocket and disassembled his rifle. In ten seconds, he went from a cold hitman to a ghost. The targets brains were scattered across the young Siren, the mother and the wall next to him. There'd be no trace of him..._

Zanes door hissed open as Moze entered his room with an cheerly. „Yo, what's up?“ She danced, with her heavy boots echoing from the ground beneath her, around the multitude of his workstations, boxes and the tools scattered around the room, all pieces of technology in varying states of repair or assembly. It may have looked disorganised, but she suspected that Zane new exactly what and where everything was. He didn’t turn to speak with her, all the time his eye was glued to the screen in front of him. The memory that touched his mind was still vivid, colours and smells crawling down his senses.

„What 'r ye doin' 'ere?“ he asked checking the clock, which shows 10pm.

„Wanted to check if you find something new or relevant.“ she replied as nonchalantly as she could.

„Nah, nothin' 'ere.“, he waved aside. „How's yer mission with the film reels turn out?“

„Don't remember me of that. We cruised for hours through the dirtiest places of the Meridian Outskirts, just to achieve seeing an miserable c-movie quality film with an freako who thought this payment was enough.“, she snorted.

„Got yer legitimate payment then?“, he turned to her as she settled down on the bench near the desk where he was working.

„After Fl4k had a chat about death with him, yes.“, she grinned, crossing her arms under her head and rising her boots up on the edge of the bench.

„Can imagine that.“, Zane chuckled.

„Hey, I checked out Amara first. Can you explain me why she's laying down on her mattress staring at your drone, without any respond, just whimpering?“, she asked, examining the variety of gadgets that lay dotted about the workstations around her. She certainly had her own ideas of how they could be turned into deadly weapons.

Zane faltered and shrugged his shoulders. He'd exactly known what happened, but Moze didn't need to know all the details in his opinion.

„Maybe leg day finished her.“, she guessed.

Zane nodded in agreement with the Gunner.

„You know, I can feel it in my guts when something between you two is horribly wrong?“, Moze pointed out. „Does we have a problem here, that will eventually disturb our work out on the battlefield?“

„Oh feck, no. It's nothin'!“, he replied visibly annoyed, opening two bottles of beer, handing one to the Gunner, which she thankfully lead right to her lips. „Possibly me crossed some feckin' invisibl' line by contacting Dr. Psycho first.“, he added rubbing his nape of the neck.

„Ah, there we have a `something`.“, Moze pulled slightly the label from the bottle.

„Guess she don't wanna see in me face ever again.“, Zane closed all tabs on his laptop, to shift it in a standby mode.

„I think she just need time, you know how impulsive and protective she is. You two are such two alphas trying to hold the upper hand.“, she declared, putting the bottle aside.

„Ye know, I would make an total edjit of me, doin' somethin' so insane like dancin' in the middle of a fight, just to raise a smile on her face.“, he stretched.

„I believe you would.“, Moze grinned. „Without knowing what exactly happened, I can tell you, conversation helps.“

„Thanks, Captain Hindsight.“, he rolled his eye, sticking out his tongue at her as a pillow landed straight in his face and he hear the Gunner cackling.

„Your reflexes are weak, old-timer.“, wiping away tears of joy from her face, the Gunner cackled further.

In consideration of the fact that Zane previously swallowed some painkillers with alcohol plus the other drinks this evening, it was no surprise of his weak reaction. But this totally wakes him up in his mind.

Pulling the pillow out of his face, he retorted. „I hope ye know that one of my middle names is,“, he rosed to his feet, grabbing the pillow, „Zane 'pummeling his opponents' Flynt!“, as he speaked it out Moze rolls over from the bench, standing straight on her feet.

„Try, poser!“, she prepared for action, still cackling as something fluffy from behind hit her back and she turned in one fluent movement around to look straight in the grinning face of Zanes Digi-Clone. „You're playing the cheater card, heh.“

One hell of a pillow-fight started, where both giggled covered in synthetik fibers, cackled and run so often around the table that it feels like they'd run a marathon in the end.

This little diversion between them was quite appreciated, most of the time the two of them came together, their visits usually led to a little scrap or a pillow-fight. Puffing and panting they lay on the ground beneath the bunk on the only rug in the room, still laughing.

„I call this a tie.“, Mozes eyes catched the still running television. „Oh, hell yeah, I love this show.“, without hestitation the Gunner rosed to her feet and headed for the television, sitting down in Zanes bunk. „What did I miss?“

The Operative moved closer to the bunk, gesturing towards the television. „Sophia finally got her lil' puppy, which turned out to be an spying tool. I mean in his collar was a feckin' spycam.“

„Fuck, that's bitter for her, after the incidents with Rover. I'll bet I know who's spying at her.“, Moze replaid excited.

Both glued to the television, simultaneously yelled, „JACINTA!“

Due to the show was broadcasted approximately 16 hours a day, they had a lot to discuss and conclusion on it, and they did till the cows come home and several bottles of booze were emptied.


End file.
